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Spring | 2013
CONTENTS
occasions Occasions is a premier food and drink magazine published by Transcontinental Media
Food & Drinks Editor: Mark DeWolf Food Stylist & Props: Mark DeWolfl Photography: Perry Jackson Art Director: john eaton Advertising Coordination: Meaghan Ferdinand Contributing Writers: Mark DeWolf Regional Director of Sales: Joel Hartlen Account Executives: John Eagles, Mark DeWolf, Annie Langley Group Publisher, Transcontinental: Fred Fiander
Themed Celebration
Fab 4 Pairings
Published By
Copyright 2013 by Transcontinental Media Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without expressed written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Materials submitted for consideration should be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited materials. 211 Horseshoe Drive Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3S 0B9 Tel: 902.421-5888 Fax: 902.425.8118 occasions@holidaymedia.ca www.tc.tc Disclaimer Occasions Magazine makes no warranties of any kind, written or implied, regarding the contents of this magazine and expressly disclaims any warranty regarding the accuracy or reliability of information contained herein. Occasions Magazine further disclaims any responsibility for injuries or death incurred by any person or persons engaging in these activities. The views contained in this magazine are those of the writers and advertisers; they do not necessarily reflect the views of Occasions Magazine and its publisher, Transcontinental Specialty Publications (Atlantic Division).
Mixology
Inside Welcome Drink of the Season Themed Celebration Liquid Lexicon Mixology Grape Expectations Fab 4 Pairings Beer Basics Last Bite
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On the Cover On the Cover Cocktail & food pairings? It’s a brave new world in 2013. Join us as we explore the exciting new possibilities of matching food and mixed drinks. Discover these unorthodox pairings in our Liquid Lexicon article, page 14
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WELCOME
WELCOME | The Spring Issue
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spring into
Freshness! A Fresh Approach to Sunday Dinner Sunday dinner doesn’t have to be a calorie-counter’s worst nightmare! We’ve toned down the fat content and added some new flavours in the form of fresh herbs to this classic family meal. Find the recipes and a few wine recommendations in our Themed Celebration feature on page 9.
Muddling Freshness The Mojito made the term to muddle part of mainstream cocktail vernacular. We’ve been inspired by the pure flavours of clear spirits such as vodka and gin to create a variety of muddled cocktails highlighting fresh spring flavours. Read our Mixology feature on page 19.
Making a Case for Cocktail & Food Pairing Wine has long been afforded a place at the dinner table but now master mixologists are making a strong case for cocktails. The malleable nature of cocktails allows us to create unique flavour bridges between food and drink. Enjoy our Liquid Lexicon feature highlighting cocktail and food recipes found on page 14.
France Simplified The French wine industry established its reputation based on its great wine regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. While the best of these regions never lost their place as the world’s most revered wines, much of the country’s lesser known wine regions lost sales to New World countries. Thanks to changes in France’s complicated appellation system and wide spread acceptance of modern wine making techniques and packaging many of these lesser known areas are now producing exciting wines. We celebrate a modern and simpler side of the French wine industry in our Grape Expectations feature found on page 22.
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Please enjoy responsibly.
DRINK OF THE SEASON | Spring
THE TASTE OF
spring ELDERFLOWER MOJITO Serves 1 Ingredients 8-10 fresh mint leaves ½ lime, cut into wedges 1 tsp sugar 1 ½ oz Bacardi Superior Rum Elderflower Sparkling Pressé Sprig of mint for garnish
Directions 1. Place mint, lime wedges and sugar in a highball glass; muddle. 2. Add Bacardi Superior Rum and fill with ice. 3. Top with Elderflower Sparkling Pressé. 4. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
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FOOD | Themed Celebration
A FRESH APROACH TO SUNDAY DINNER
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FOOD | Themed Celebration
Herb Crusted Roast Top Sirloin www.occasionsmagazine.ca
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FOOD | Themed Celebration
A FRESH APPROACH TO SUNDAY DINNER With the hectic pace of life, Sunday dinner is, for many Alberta families, one of the only times to sit around the table with family or friends. We’ve taken a fresh approach to Sunday dinner by incorporating fresh herbs and substituting some (definitely not all) of the fattier elements of the meal. Of course, we’ve tried not to sacrifice any of the flavour. Wines to Match the Meal: Most dry red wines will match perfectly well with roast dinner, but if you want to strike a flavour match, look to red grapes rich in methoxypyrazines - a chemical compound
responsible for the herbaceous and vegetal tones found in certain wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is particularly rich in these compounds. The Cabernet-based wines of Bordeaux are classic partners, but so too are any number of Cabernet-influenced wines from around the world. Here are a couple to look out for: Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile) Torres Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvignon (Spain)
Herb Crusted Roast Top Sirloin Serves 8-10 Ingredients 1, 3-4 lb top sirloin roast, tied 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard 4 tbsp prepared horseradish 1 tbsp pink peppercorns, cracked 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 tbsp olive oil Rock salt 2 cups parsley, finely chopped 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped Salt to taste
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FOOD | Themed Celebration
Dill Mashed Potatoes Directions 1. Place the sirloin on a wire rack, set above a baking sheet in your refrigerator overnight to remove excess moisture from the beef. 2. Preheat the oven to 375 °F. 3. Combine the Dijon, 2 tablespoons of horseradish, pink peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Whisk until well blended. 4. Rub the Dijon and horseradish mixture over the top sirloin; season with rock salt. 5. Place a large pan over medium-high heat. 6. Sear the beef until it is golden brown on all sides. If the beef begins to stick, carefully add a little olive oil to the pan. 7. Roast the beef for 45-55 minutes. Times will vary depending on your preference of internal beef temperature. 8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 2530 minutes.
9. While the beef is resting, combine the remaining horseradish and olive oil; spread this mixture over the beef. 10. Just before serving, remove the twine. Spread the parsley and cilantro over a baking sheet. Roll the beef in the fresh herbs. 11. Delicately slice the beef (or carve at the table) and place on a serving platter with your roasted spring vegetables. Editor’s Tip: Immediately after the beef is removed from the oven, turn the oven up to 425 °F and roast your vegetables. While the beef is resting, the vegetables will roast and be ready just in time for service.
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Roasted Spring Vegetables Serves 8-10 Ingredients 3 dozen baby potatoes washed, halved 2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 5 tbsp olive oil 12 small carrots, peeled, halved, washed 2 bunches asparagus, washed, trimmed Salt & pepper to taste
Directions 1. Preheat an oven to 425 F˚ . 2. Toss the potatoes with two-thirds of the rosemary, two-thirds of the garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place in a roasting pan and set in oven. Roast for 8 minutes. 3. While the potatoes are roasting, toss the carrots with the remaining rosemary and garlic and 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. Add the carrots to the pan with the potatoes 11
FOOD | Themed Celebration
Chive Yorkshire Pudding and continue roasting for 15 minutes. 4. While the potatoes and carrots are roasting, toss the asparagus with the remaining olive oil. Add the asparagus to the vegetables and continue roasting for 7 minutes. 5. Remove from the oven and season with salt and pepper. 6. Serve on a platter with the Herb Crusted Roast Top Sirloin. Editor’s Note: We’ve substituted classic steamed vegetables drenched in butter with this dish using olive oil. The roasting process concentrates the flavours of the vegetables and allows them to hold their own against the rich flavour of the roast sirloin.
Dill Mashed Potatoes
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Serves 8-10 Ingredients
Chive Yorkshire Pudding
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered 4 cloves garlic 1 cup Greek Yoghurt ¼ cup dill, minced 1 cup grated Parmesan
Directions 1. Place the potatoes and garlic in a pot of salted water; bring to a boil. 2. Boil the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. 3. Drain the potatoes and garlic and pass through a ricer or mash the old-fashioned way. 4. Add the yoghurt, dill and Parmesan. Combine thoroughly. 5. Serve warm.
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Makes 12 puddings Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 2 cups skim milk 6 eggs, whisked Pinch salt 4 tbsp chives, finely chopped 1/2 cup olive oil
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 450 F˚ . 2. Combine the flour, milk and eggs in a bowl. Blend until smooth. 3. Add the chives and combine. 4. Place two, 6-cup muffin tins in the oven for 10 minutes. 5. Add a teaspoon of olive oil in each of the twelve metal muffin cups and return to oven for 10 minutes.
FOOD | Themed Celebration
6. Very carefully add two tablespoons of the batter to each cup and return to oven for 10-12 minutes. 7. Serve warm.
4 tbsp raisins 4 tbsp dried cranberries 4 tbsp pistachios, shelled, toasted 1 tsp ground cinnamon 6 tbsp honey
apples to be soft, but not mushy. 6. Delicately transfer the apples to shallow bowls or dessert plates and drizzle with the juices from the baking dish; or, serve with a little whipped cream.
Editor’s Tip: Make these in the morning and reheat just before service.
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 F˚ . 2. In a bowl, combine the raisins, cranberries, pistachios, cinnamon and honey. 3. Fill the apples with the dried fruit mixture. 4. Place the apples in a large baking dish; cover with foil. 5. Bake for 35-40 minutes. You want the
Editor’s Tip: Just before bringing out the main meal, reduce the heat of your oven to 350 F˚ and bake the apples. When the main course is finished, your apples should be just about ready to take out of the oven.
Honey Baked Apples Serves 8 Ingredients 6 McIntosh Apples, tops removed, cored 1/6 cup lemon juice
Honey Baked Apples www.occasionsmagazine.ca
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LIQUID LEXICON | Cocktail Pairings
Thai Shrimp
LIQUID LEXICON | Cocktail Pairings
Wine had long dominated the dinner table, but then microbreweries came along and challenged the notion of the former’s exclusivity as a match with food. Now there is a new breed of bartenders and mixologists shaking up the whole concept of pairing food and drink. First came spirit and food pairings; next, forward-thinkers discovered the malleable nature of cocktails. Now, we can build drinks to specifically match the flavour and texture of our favourite foods.
Cocktail and Food Pairing Tips: 1. You will mostly want to build cocktails that by volume are not predominantly alcohol, as the rich intensity and full-bodied nature of these cocktails will overwhelm most foods.
2. Use lemon or lime juice to add acidity to cocktails. This will let you pair with dishes with strong acid elements, or to cut through the richness of olive oil, for example.
3. Fresh fruits tend to balance sweetness and acid. Matching a cocktail to a dessert fruit makes a great start, but you may need to ramp up the cocktail’s sweetness, either by using a sweet spirit or liqueur or adding sweetness via a simple syrup or a natural sweetener, such as honey.
4. Try to find a flavour bridge. Oak-aged spirits often have vanilla, smoky or spicy elements (often winter spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves). Try using these spirits in cocktails matched with dishes whose ingredients have a natural affinity to these flavours. Think about cream or butter with vanilla or apple, and pumpkin’s natural affinity to baking spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
5. Have fun and experiment! This is cutting-edge stuff here, after all.
See our great cocktail and food recipes on the following page. Asian Vodka Highball
LIQUID LEXICON | Cocktail Pairings
Asian Vodka Highball & Thai Shrimp
Tanqueray,Tomato and Citrus Cocktail & Mediterranean Chicken Skewers
Highball Serves 1 Ingredients 1 oz Smirnoff Vodka 1 Thai chili 2 lime wedges 4 oz club soda
Directions 1. Place the vodka, Thai chili and lime wedges in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake vigorously. 2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. 3. Top with soda.
Shrimp Serves 4 Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 tsp ginger, minced 1 ½ lb medium sized shrimp Juice and zest of 1 lime 2 tbsp fresh mint, minced Salt & pepper to taste
Directions 1. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. 2. Add the vegetable oil, green onion and ginger; sauté until the onions are soft and ginger fragrant. 3. Raise the heat to high and add the shrimps, lime zest and lime juice. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. 4. At the last moment add the fresh mint. 5. Season with salt and pepper.
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Tanqueray,Tomato and Citrus Cocktail & Mediterranean Chicken Skewers Cocktail Serves 1 Ingredients 1 ½ oz Tanqueray gin ½ oz fresh lemon juice 1 oz chilled tomato water* Rosemary-skewered cherry tomatoes
Editors Note: Tomato water is made by combining crushed or puréed fresh tomatoes with salt (about 1 tbsp of salt per 1 kg of tomatoes). Place the combination in a cheese cloth, set in sieve above a bowl in the fridge. Let drain for 6-8 hours.
Skewers Serves 4 Ingredients
Directions 1. Place Tanqueray, lemon juice and tomato water in cocktail shaker with ice; shake vigorously. 2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with rosemary-skewered cherry tomatoes.
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16 ounces chicken, cubed ¼ cup lemon juice 2 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp fennel seed, ground 1 tsp cumin, ground Cherry tomatoes Pitted Kalamata olives Skewers
LIQUID LEXICON | Cocktail Pairings
Directions 1. Marinate the chicken in a bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, fennel seed and cumin for an hour. 2. Alternate placing pieces of chicken, cherry tomatoes and olives on skewers and cook on a grill pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
Spiced Rum & Caramel Cocktail & Rum Bread Pudding
Spiced Rum & Caramel Cocktail & Rum Bread Pudding Cocktail Serves 1 Ingredients 1 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum 1 oz caramel sauce ½ cup whole milk or cream Dash Cinnamon Caramel candy
Directions 1. Place the rum, caramel sauce and milk in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. 2. Strain into a cocktail glass. 3. Top with a dash of cinnamon. 4. Garnish with a skewered caramel candy
Rum Bread Pudding Serves 6-8 Ingredients 3 tbsp butter at room temp 3 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp Captain Morgan Spiced Rum 3 ½ cups whole milk 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 1 large loaf sourdough bread, cubed
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. 2. Using an electric blender, mix butter and sugar until fluffy. 3. Add eggs, vanilla and rum and further blend until well incorporated. 4. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the cinnamon 5. In a large bowl, place the cubes of bread. 6. Add the milk mixture to the bread and combine thoroughly.
7. Place the bread into a greased muffin tin(s). Depending on the size of the loaf and the muffin tins, the yield should range from 6 to 8 individual bread puddings. 8. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes; serve warm.
Producers’Choice
M. Chapoutier - Belleruche Rouge
Drouhin - Beaujolais Village
Fonseca - Tawny Port
This wine, which is a blend of Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%) is made by one of France's iconic wine names.
This fresh and silky red wine is made exclusively from the Gamay Noir grape by Joseph Drouhin, a family owned winery since 1880.
Fonseca is a legendary Port house and the only one with four wines scoring a perfect 100 Points. Fonseca Tawny spends three years ageing in small wooden casks growing lighter in colour thereby deriving its name from its tawny, amber colour.
It boasts aromas of red fruits such as cherries along with warming spices like liquorice and pepper. This wine has a great structure with firm and silky tannins. For M. Chapoutier terroir goes beyond being merely a reflection of the climate, soil and exposure to the sun. They believe terroir is also an expression of people. The company pays homage to one of the region's most famous sons, Maurice de la Sizeranne,who perfected abbreviated Braille that is still used worldwide today by producing the label for this wine in braille.
The appeal of this wine begins with its lovely raspberry colour and brilliant hue. The nose is both refined and intense, with floral and red fruit notes and the palate supple and smooth as well as being very low in tannin. We recommend serving this versatile wine slightly chilled. Enjoy it as a wine to start your evening or pair it with lighter fare such as salads, pink fleshed fish such as salmon, chicken or pork. Discover for yourself why this is the #1 selling Beaujolais Village in Alberta.
Discover for yourself the passion that goes into every bottle of their Belleruche Rouge and why M. Chapoutier was recognized as “The World's Most Admired French Wine Brand” by Drinks International in 2012.
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Made with traditional Portuguese varietals like Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz it delivers aromas of apricot and plum with mellow undertones of butterscotch and spice in combination with rich, jammy flavours on the palate and crisp acidity in the finish. This Port is ready to drink now; no cellaring required. Discover for yourself why this is the best selling Tawny Port in Alberta!
Muddling Freshness
BEVERAGES | Mixology
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Muddling is the act of mixing ingredients to release their flavour by crushing them using a muddler, spoon or other instrument, before adding the other liquid ingredients. The muddling process releases essential oils from herbs and extracts flavourful juice from berries and other fruits.
Smashed Berry Cocktail Serves 1 Ingredients Âź cup fresh berries 1 tbsp simple syrup 1 oz Absolut Vodka 4 oz sparkling lemonade
Directions 1. Place the berries and simple syrup in a rocks glass. 2. Muddle the berries. 3. Top with ice and then add the vodka and sparkling lemonade. Editor’s Note: Raspberries work well, but you can use any fresh berries available to you.
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BEVERAGES | Mixology
< Iced Cucumber and Mint Cocktail Serves 1 Ingredients ¼ English Cucumber, peeled, seeded, roughly chopped ¼ cup fresh mint leaves 1 oz Beefeater Gin Club soda
Directions 1. Place the cucumber and mint in a highball glass; muddle. 2. Top with ice. 3. Add gin and fill with soda.
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Apple Cinnamon Smash Martini > Serves 1 Ingredients ½ Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, chopped 2 lime wedges 1 oz Polar Ice Vodka 1 oz cinnamon syrup* Apple slice for garnish
Directions 1. Place the apples and lime wedges in a mixing glass; muddle. 2. Add the vodka, cinnamon syrup and ice. 3. Top with the metal bottom of the cocktail shaker. 4. Shake vigorously then, strain into a chilled martini glass. 5. Garnish with an apple slice. *Make cinnamon syrup by combining 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 2 cinnamon sticks in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the cinnamon sticks and strain through a fine sieve. www.occasionsmagazine.ca
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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS | The New France
THE NEW FRANCE NEW BREED FRENCH WINES ARE HIP & FUN
The French wine industry has long rested on the laurels of its most famous regions, including Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. While French wines dominated the wine shelves for centuries, the country recently relinquished its title as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest wine producer. That title now goes to Italy. While its most prestigious appellations and producers continue to enjoy brisk sales (thanks in part to increased sales to Asia), a revolution is underway in its lesser known regions. Young winemakers infused with knowledge are changing the way wine is made and packaged in France. Discover for yourself this new breed of French wines at a Real Canadian Liquor Store near you.
Screw Off In the wine world this is a positive phrase. Did you know that the Stelvin closure (the long-skirted screw cap seen on wine bottles) was actually a French invention? French manufacturer La Bouchage 22
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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS | The New France
brand, a Noah’s ark of critter adorned wine labels took over wine shelves throughout North America. There were Little Penguins and Dancing Bulls and then in walked a waddling hippo from France. The FAT Bastard brand, with its hippo adorned label, proved that France could be every bit as fun and hip as its New World competition.
Mecanique developed it in the 1960s at the behest of Peter Wall from Australia’s large Yalumba winery. While the invention didn’t resonate with French wine producers in the 1960s (the 70s, 80s, 90s or 2000s for that matter) it did eventually prove successful in emerging wine regions such as Australia and New Zealand. Research has since proven that screw caps greatly reduce the risk of oxidation and “cork taint” in wine. With a new breed of young French winemakers changing the way wine is made in France you will increasingly see French wines bottled with screw caps.
Labels Get a Makeover Positive changes to French wine labels aren’t limited to the introduction of animals or fun graphic design. France’s intricate, yet complicated to understand, appellation system that regulates its fine wine production and labelling standards has confounded many wine buyers. The French government is seeking to simplify its appellation system. A new three-tier system was introduced last year (reduced from a four-tier system), designed to simplify and even relax standards on some of its premium
France’s Critter Culture They weren’t the first to adorn their labels with an animal, but when Casella’s Yellow Tail brand of wines hopped over its competitors to become the world’s most successful wine www.occasionsmagazine.ca
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GRAPE EXPECTATIONS | The New France
wines, including allowance for wineries to indicate the grape variety(ies) on certain appellation designated wines. These changes will go a long way toward helping consumers understand French wine labels. Which of the two on the previous page would you buy?
Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP): Formerly known as
France’s New Three-Tier Wine System
The Sunny South
Vin de France: This is reserved for entry level wines. No region is indicated on the label, but producers may now list the grape varieties used to make the wine.
Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP): This replaces the previous Vins de Pays category. Like their Italian counterparts (IGT), French wines produced under this system will have lots of freedom to label wines indicating the varietal(s) used to make the wine along with a general geographic designation.
AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlée) this tier is devoted to the country’s top wines. These wines will continue to adhere to strict production and labelling standards, although some loosening of restrictions has allowed for clearer more consumer-friendly labels.
France’s central and northern regions are its most prestigious, but new wine drinkers unfamiliar with French wine regions are increasingly looking to France’s sunny south as a source of great value. Blessed by a warm Mediterranean climate and a wealth of microclimates, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is proving to be a hot bed both of innovative styles and a source of great value wines from classic appellations with a renewed sense of pride. Grenache and Syrah – along with a long list of other supporting varietals thrown into the mix – dominate the traditional red wines of the region. It’s time to revisit France. You might just discover the fresh new attitude of its new breed of young winemakers translates to fun, easy to drink wines lacking only in pretense.
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FOOD & DRINK | Pairings
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FABULOUS PAIRINGS Simple Salads
Chicken, Avocado & Pomegranate Salad
Citrus Basil Shrimp Salad Serves 6-8
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 heads Boston bibb lettuce 4 cups cooked shrimp 2 yellow peppers, seeded, julienned 1 can mandarin oranges, liquid reserved 2 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp liquid honey ½ tsp Dijon mustard ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped ¼ cup vegetable oil Salt & pepper to taste
3 heads Boston bibb lettuce 2 6-oz chicken breasts, grilled, sliced 4 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced 2 cups seedless green grapes, halved 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, julienned ½ cup cilantro, chopped 1 122-g container pomegranate seeds Juice of 2 limes Salt & pepper to taste
Chicken, Avocado & Pomegranate Salad
Directions
1. In a bowl combine the lettuce, Directions shrimp, yellow pepper and 1. Divide the lettuce amongst six mandarin orange slices. bowls and top with the grilled 2. In a separate bowl combine chicken slices, avocado slices the mandarin orange juice, and mango slices. lime juice, honey, Dijon 2. Top each salad with equal mustard and basil. amounts of the cilantro and 3. Slowly whisk in the vegetable pomegranate seeds. oil and then season with salt 3. Pour equal amounts of the and pepper. lime juice over each salad. 4. Add the vinaigrette to the 4. Season with salt and pepper. salad and toss. Pairing: Cono Sur Viognier Pairing: Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc Citrus Basil Shrimp Salad
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FOOD & DRINK | Pairings
Shaved Fennel, Grapefruit & Parmesan Salad
Shaved Fennel, Grapefruit & Parmesan Salad
Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 6-8
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, fronds removed, shaved or very thinly sliced 6 cups arugula 2 grapefruits, peeled, cut into segments ½ red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 lemons, juiced Salt & pepper to taste 2 cups Parmesan, shaved
Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp Dijon Mustard 1 clove garlic, minced ⅙ cup chives, minced ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 3 heads Boston bibb lettuce 1 200-gram thinly sliced smoked salmon 1 red onion, peeled, thinly sliced 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
Directions 1. Add the fennel, arugula, grapefruit segments, red onion and pine nuts to a bowl. 2. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; toss. 3. Serve in bowls and top with shaved Parmesan. Pairing: Masi Masianco
Directions 1. Place the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and chives in a blender. Turn blender to medium setting. 2. Slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette emulsifies. 3. Pour vinaigrette through a fine sieve; extract as much liquid as possible. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 4. Place lettuce in a bowl and season with salt & pepper. 5. Add enough vinaigrette to the bowl to lightly cover the greens; toss. 6. Divide the lettuce amongst the bowls and top each with equal amounts of smoked salmon, sliced red onion and crumbled goat cheese.
Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Salad
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Pairing: Peller Private Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 27
Beer Basics | Tasting
How To: Steve Riley is a Certified Cicerone, the beer equivalent of a sommelier, and President of BetterBeer.com. He is one of only a handful of Certified Cicerones in Canada, and is a recognized beer judge. Things are changing for the better in the beer world, with imaginative twists as well as traditional styles available to Western Canadian beer-lovers in more variety than ever. You have probably noticed an explosion of new beer in Alberta, and whether you always drink the same brand or try new styles at every opportunity, you can expand your horizons by learning what experts know about drinking beer at its best. Here are a few tips on beer-tasting and getting the most out of your next beer-drinking experience.
The Pour Pour your beer into a clean, clear glass, being sure to retain an inch-high collar of foam. The foam (or head) helps retain the delicate aromas of the beer. Next, assess: is the beer clear or cloudy? If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an 28
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Beer Basics | Tasting
Taste like a Cicerone unfiltered style, such as Wit (Belgian Wheat Ale), it will be cloudy. Typically, cloudy or unfiltered beer will be more complex and flavourful.
detect. Is it watery, thin or thick? Is it hot (a warming sensation felt at the back of throat), or perhaps acidic?
Aroma Take a short sniff, followed by a longer one. A little trick that beer experts use to accentuate the aroma is to cover the glass with your hand and swirl the glass for 3-4 seconds. Take your hand away and immediately take a deep, long sniff with your nose buried in the glass. Do you notice how intense the aroma becomes? You can pick up so many subtleties this way.
Taste Take a one-ounce sip, swirl it in your mouth and then swallow while exhaling through your nose, as taste is 99% aroma. What do you taste? Cereal, floral, citrus, sweet, grainy, spicy, bitter? When tasting the beer, be sure to also think about the mouthfeel (texture) and any other specific characteristics you
Lastly, remember that beer is a social beverage. The setting and the people you enjoy the beer with are as important as the taste of the beer. Get a group together and collectively expand your understanding. Enjoy a beer you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tried before; the selection is greater than it ever has been before. Cheers.
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FOOD | Last Bite
StrawberryRhubarb Fool
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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Discover the distinct palate of 3,000 hours of bottled Spanish sunshine in every glass.